


Just the Way You Are

by Daretodream66



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: And he's intersexed too, F/M, I don't even know what else, It's Bucky, Loki is a good guy, M/M, The Starks have twins, Then gets it back, intersexed character, steve loses the serum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 06:08:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20286661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daretodream66/pseuds/Daretodream66
Summary: So, it's complicated.  Steve sees something he shouldn't have and Bucky doesn't want to see him.  I wrote this after seeing Infinity War, so this is my take on a sacrifice having to be made.  Steve loses the serum, then gets it back, then gets one hell of a surprise.  There's a baby in here too.





	Just the Way You Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fakeaccunt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fakeaccunt/gifts).

> I saw Infinity War in April of 2018. This was written in May of 2018 and I did nothing with it until today. I really didn't think that anyone would like the premise of the story, so I sat on it. Then I see a writing prompt from fakeaccunt and low and behold, one of them involved mpreg and intersexed. I thought what the hell. So, I cleaned it up a bit and here ya go.

Steve had never seen Bucky without clothes, never fully understood why his mother was so protective or why Bucky’s dad had treated him the way he did. Bucky had always been a man’s man and Steve just trusted that persona. Then…then, he finds out the truth after the war with Thanos. He’d walked into Shuri’s lab after and everything he thought he knew was gone. Bucky had suffered a deep gash on his hip and thigh. Shuri was stitching it up with Bucky laying back on the table. The small towel covering his groin fell to the floor when Bucky jumped from a particularly painful pass from the instrument Shuri was using. Steve was left open-mouthed gaping at what he saw. 

After the snap. After defeating the Mad Titan. After everything was set right again. After he’d sacrificed…everything. Steve finds that everything he believed about his friend was unfounded.

Bucky doesn’t look at him anymore. Back on his little goat farm, away from everything that could hurt him. Steve tried to visit once, but Bucky had made it plain that he didn’t want to see Steve again.

Tony and the team, expanded as it was, didn’t look at Steve the same and some avoided him. Only Clint, god bless Clint, had stepped up and slung his arm around Steve and invited him back to his farm. He didn’t think he’d ever see the farm again, but he was welcomed by Laura and the kids with open arms.

After six months, the apartment over the barn was finished and Steve moved out of the farmhouse and into his own space. He still thought about the team and the shield, but he didn’t miss them the way he thought he would. Not after everything. 

Laura had taken him into town and they’d purchased art supplies after they’d had a conversation about what he did before the serum. Everything he’d never been able to afford before, was in his apartment now. 

Most nights he ate with the family, his family, but some nights he cooked for himself. Laura had given him a crash course in cooking and he wasn’t too bad at it, if he did say so himself. He didn’t have the health problems from before, which was odd, and that meant he wasn’t allergic to anything anymore. He did wish that he could help Clint more around the farm, but his friend insisted that he didn’t care. What Steve could do was enough.

Tonight, almost a year since moving here, Steve sits in the yard, watching the sun go down, wondering what his former friend and teammates are doing. “You seem deep in thought.”

Steve doesn’t jump, having heard Clint coming. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Clint joins him on the ground.

“Nah, just thinking about things that I shouldn’t.” Clint shoulder checks him.

“Maybe if you talk about it, you won’t have to think about it so much.” Steve quirks a smile, thinking that no one really gave Clint the respect he deserved.

“Maybe.” Taking a deep breath, he decides that he’s safe here and nothing he could say will push Clint away. “I didn’t do this to hurt anyone. A sacrifice had to be made and I had to kill Captain America for it to work. I didn’t do it spontaneously, I thought about what it would mean, it just seemed like the best option.”

Clint turns around and looks at the house. “You gave me back my life, Steve. Anyone that doesn’t see what you did as heroic, is a fucking idiot.”

Steve snorts. “I didn’t do it to be heroic.”

It’s Clint’s turn to snort. “No kidding. Tell me somethin I don’t know, Steve.”

That does make Steve jump. “What?”

“Look, I followed Cap because he was good at his job and getting us out alive. I knew you wouldn’t leave us in that prison. I knew you’d come for us. I also knew that you didn’t go against half the team for a friend.” He looks at the house again. “I’d do the same thing for Laura over and over.”

“You knew?”

“Of course I knew.” He slaps a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “If I could give you that, with him, I would in a second because you gave me back my wife and kids.”

“I know, but that’s not in the cards for me.”

Clint stands, brushing off his pants. “And for that, I don’t know that I can ever forgive him.” Steve doesn’t tell him everything, what he saw in the lab that day, because it isn’t his story to tell. He wishes that Clint didn’t hold a grudge against Bucky, but he also doesn’t understand Bucky’s reaction, so he keeps his mouth shut.

Steve’s been on the farm for over a year when Laura brings a ‘friend’ to see his work. She’s been known to sit in his apartment at night and talk to him while he paints. He had no idea that she knew so much about art.

The friend is a tall man, with wavy brown hair and blue eyes. He’s dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, but has an intelligent, intense glint in his eyes. Looking at Steve’s paintings he whistles low. Laura looks pleased and puts her arm around Steve. “He likes them.”

The man, Sebastian, turns and looks at Steve. “Laura said you were talented, but friends can sometimes be biased, but she wasn’t lying. You have a gift, Steve.”

Steve grins, blushing. “Thanks.” He doesn’t know why he feels shy about his work. He knew that he was talented, his ma had told him, and she never lied, and he’d gotten into art school on his portfolio.

“I’d like to put a show together for you in Denver.” Steve is in shock and it shows on his face, making Laura and Sebastian laugh. “I take it you weren’t expecting that.”

“No, no I wasn’t. Are you sure?” Laura chuckles even more.

“Yes, I’m absolutely sure.” He comes over and puts a hand on Steve’s shoulder, ducking his head to make Steve looks at him. “You are gifted and the world needs to see it.” He squeezes. “Let me be the lucky son of a bitch that gets to say, ‘I discovered Steve Rogers.’”

Steve laughs. “Yeah, yeah, I’d like that.”

It takes three more months to get everything set up. Laura, Clint, and the kids, normally, travel with Steve when he has to fly to Denver. The last trip, Steve makes on his own and instead of staying in a hotel, Sebastian puts him up in his guest room. Steve thinks it’s a little weird, but Laura just smiles a knowing, subtle thing and wishes him a safe trip. 

Arriving at the airport, Sebastian hugs him and leads him to a car waiting outside the terminal. “I thought we could have dinner and then tomorrow I’ll take you to the gallery so you can see how everything is set up. Anything you want done different, you just tell me and I’ll make it happen.”

The ride is silent after that, as Steve looks out the window taking in the scenery. He can’t get over how the mountains look in the setting sun. He’d like to paint that someday. Sebastian’s apartment is about what Steve expected. It’s large and open, with windows looking out at the city. “You have a great view.”

“What’s the point of living here, if I can’t have that view?” He laughs at his own words and Steve smiles at him.

At dinner, they talk about the show and as the evening winds down, Steve asks a personal question. “Do you let all of your artists stay with you?”

Sebastian chuckles. “Only the ones that I want to know better, so you’d be the only one.”

It niggles under Steve’s skin because he knows he should be getting another message from that, but he can’t place what that might be. “Oh…well…thanks, I guess.”

Sebastian laughs. “You don’t get it do you?”

Steve stumbles with his reply. “I…well…no.”

They enter the apartment and Sebastian fixes them a drink. Steve sits on the sofa looking out at the city, confused and uncertain, rolling his glass between his hands. Sebastian sits next to him, a little closer than Steve is comfortable with. “Steve.” Steve takes the drink, sips it and looks up at Sebastian. “When Laura told me she had a friend that was an artist, I was skeptical. Then I saw your work.” Steve takes another sip because he doesn’t know what else to do. “You truly are gifted, but you’re also a really great guy.” At this point, Steve wonders if Sebastian knows who he is, but that question gets answered quickly. “Jesus Steve, you gave up everything to save the…well…the whole fucking universe. But you had this talent in you the whole time.” He gets up and walks over to the window, then turns back to Steve. “I’m falling for you, Steve, and I don’t know that I want that to stop. I don’t know that I could make it stop.”

Steve’s first reaction is to run. To get his things, call Laura and Clint and run back to the farm, but then he asks himself why. Why would he run away from this? Sebastian is nice, decent, attractive, and likes this Steve. The little guy that had only his art. The little guy that only ever wanted someone to see him. Getting up from the sofa, he goes to Sebastian, leaning up, kisses him lightly. Sebastian circles Steve’s waist with his arms, pulling him in tightly and kisses him again, longer more lingering. Lifting his head, he looks down at Steve, who’s smiling back. “That was better than I imagined.”

“You spend a lot of time thinkin about me, Seb?”

A shit eating grin blooms across Sebastian’s face. “Seb?”

Steve blushes and Sebastian pulls him closer, if that’s possible. “Yeah, you don’t seem to mind too much.”

Steve knows what’s going to come out of Sebastian’s mouth as soon as he starts speaking. “Of course I don’t, Ste…” Steve puts his hand over Sebastian’s mouth. He looks down at Steve confused.

“Please don’t. If you were about to call me what I think you were about to call me, don’t.”

Lifting his hand, Sebastian looks at him sadly. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?”

Steve hangs his head. “Yes…no…I don’t know.”

Sebastian takes his hand and leads him back to the sofa. Retrieving their drinks from the table, he hands Steve’s to him. “Tell me about him.”

Steve spends the next couple of hours talking about Bucky and _almost_ everything that happened. Sebastian kisses him lightly when he’s done. “You aren’t over it yet?”

Steve gazes out the window again. “I guess not.”

“Then how about we table this.” He indicated between them. “And if you find yourself ready at some point, we give it a go.”

“I’d really like that.”

Tony steps off the ramp and heads towards the King of Wakanda. “Your Majesty.”

“Please, Mr. Stark, just call me T’Challa.” Tony gives a quick nod.

“Then you have to call me Tony.” The king nods and they head inside. 

“Shuri is ready to…do whatever it is that she’s going to do. I am a very intelligent man, but she is far beyond my comprehension sometimes.”

Tony chuckles. “I’m a bonafide genius and I don’t understand some of what she says and does.” They walk in silence until they reach the lab. “Do you think this will work?”

T’Challa grins. “If anyone can make it happen, it is my sister.” Entering the lab is like going to Disney World for Tony. He loves his lab, but Shuri’s is a playground for the ADHA mind. “Sister, your audience is here.”

Shuri bounces over. “Anthony, you have been missed.” She hugs him, which Tony has to get used to because the Princess of Wakanda is very tactile. He found that the Wakandan people, as a whole, are very tactile and he comes from a family that decidedly was not. “I’m just about to bring him online.”

Tony looks to the table and sees Vision. Before the war, Shuri had downloaded everything that was Vision into the Wakandan mainframe and had finally finished the body. Tony clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Let’s do this.”

Shuri grins. They work for nearly half an hour when Vision jumps from the table and hovers just over the ground, looking out at the jungle. “Where am I?”

Tony speaks and Vision turns, surprised. “What’s the last thing you remember?” 

“Mr. Stark? What is happening?” Tony steps closer. “I remember…Wanda and Thanos and darkness.” His feet touch the ground. “Is she…she is….”

Tony nods. “Wanda is fine. She came back after the snap hoping to find you alive.”

“The snap?” Tony realizes that they have a lot to catch Vision up on. 

“Why don’t we sit, so I can tell you a story?”

It takes longer to tell everything than Tony thought it would. And he’s very careful about how he words the story, but he does catch a disapproving glance from Shuri. “And that’s about it.” He gets up and walks over to the coffee machine.

“I do not understand. Captain Rogers gave up Captain America to save everyone and you and the others turned your back on him?” Tony mutters a curse under his breath because Vision wasn’t supposed to pick up on that. All Vis can think about is how Captain Rogers had insisted that no one gets left behind and it seems the team did just that to him because he was of no use to them anymore.

“It’s not like that.”

Vision is offended for the Captain. “It would seem that it is exactly like that.” He gets up and goes to the window. “Where is he?”

“We know he’s on Clint’s farm, but none of us know where that is.” Vision turns and seems unconvinced. “The only time we went there, Clint scrambled the system, so we wouldn’t find it again.”

“Then I will find him alone.” And he fades through the glass and disappears.

“Fucking hell!”

Sam stares down at the goat trying to eat his pants. “What the hell is wrong with this animal, Barnes?”

Bucky laughs and doesn’t do anything to stop the offending goat. “That means he likes you. That makes one out of 23.”

“Fuck you, asshole.” He gently pushes the goat away. “I like these pants.”

“Then you shouldn’t have worn them to feed the goats.” Bucky wanders off for more feed.

“I didn’t come here expecting to feed the goats. I came here to relax and this is far from it.” He follows Bucky into the make shift barn. He knows why he came here, but bringing it up with Barnes is going to be harder than he thought. Anything and everything that was Steve related has been removed from Bucky’s home, whereabouts unknown. “When is dinner?”

“When I finish feeding the animals and getting them bed down.” He picks up the feed bag and hauls it out. “You know, if you want to eat sooner, you could help.” Sam huffs and grabs another bag, following the one armed man.

“I had dinner with Wanda last week.” He says it absently while pouring the feed. He’s trying to open the door and hopes Barnes doesn’t figure out what he’s doing until it’s already done.

“Oh yeah, how’s the kid doin?”

“She’s good, but said she’s going to try to find Clint. Said they didn’t leave things on good terms.” Bucky’s back stiffens.

Then he relaxes. “Well good luck with that. He made it pretty damn clear he didn’t want to see any of us again.”

“Well, considering what we did, I can’t blame him.” Sam watches and sees the realization cross Bucky’s face. “Look Barnes, I don’t know what happened between you two, but we were all dicks about it after.”

“I’m not having this conversation with you.” Bucky turns to go, but Sam catches his arm.

“You have to have it with someone because I want to help Wanda find Clint and by extension, Steve.”

“You can do whatever you want, but whether you find him or not, he’s not going to want to see me.” He pulls his arm from Sam’s grip. “Trust me on this.”

Sam reads between the lines. “Wait, so if we found him and he wanted to see you, you’d want to see him?”

“It’s all I ever wanted, for him to see me.” Something big happened and when Bucky walks away from Sam, he wishes he could take away that lost feeling he gets from Barnes.

Looking down, the goat is back and chewing on Sam’s pants again. “Well between you and me, I’m going to find him and fix this.” The goat doesn’t stop chewing.

Steve steps into the house after dropping his things off in his apartment. Laura is looking at him expectantly. “Well, how’d it go?”

They talk for a few minutes before Clint comes in, with Wanda in tow. Steve shrinks away and Laura steps up next to him taking his hand. Clint raises his hands like he’s trying to appease a wild animal. “It’s okay. She’s here as a friend and has something she needs to say.”

Steve can read Wanda’s body language and she wants to come forward and hug him, but he’s not letting his guard down for that. She does step forward, he backs away. “Steve?”

“I don’t know what you’re doing here. I don’t even know how you found us, but we don’t have anything to say to each other.”

Clint hangs his head. He knew what the team did hurt Steve, but he wasn’t aware it had broken him to this degree. “Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking that you give her. Just five minutes Steve.”

He sits down at the table, folding his hands in front of him and looks up at the clock. “Fine, five minutes.”

She takes the seat across from him, matching his pose. “Steve, what we did was wrong. There isn’t any other way to put it. We…I was wrong. I just didn’t know how to handle the guilt I was feeling and instead of telling you that, I turned my back on you.” She begins to tear up. “I’m so sorry for that.”

He narrows his eyes. “Guilt? What did you have to feel guilty about?”

She sniffles and Laura hands her a tissue. “Because you gave up everything to get us back. You’re life stopped that day and there wasn’t anything I could say to make you understand how grateful I was and am. You died that day and I was alive with all my powers intact.”

Steve huffs a laugh. “I didn’t die that day. Captain America did. Steve’s doing just fine.”

She looks up at him and doesn’t see any deception. “But…”

“Listen Wanda, all of you, except Clint, defined me by that shield and as your leader. That’s not who I was before the serum and it’s not who I am now.” He watches her examine his face. “I’m good. I found a life here, I have an art show coming up, I have a guy that’s interested in dating me and I have a family.” He looks at Clint and Laura. “I have a family.”

Tony returns to the penthouse to screaming giggles. Grinning he sneaks into the den and finds Pepper with the twins, who are squealing at a drone that’s making shapes in the air dance. Pepper sees him first and puts her finger to her lips to keep him quiet. Looking at the twins, she claps her hands. “When do you think daddy will be home?”

They both look up at her, then see Tony in the doorway. Giggling even louder, they get up and crawl unsteadily towards him as fast as their little hands and knees can carry them. Scooping both of them up, he kisses chubby cheeks and hugs them close. Pepper comes over and kisses him. He loves his wife like nothing else and the twins are an extension of that love. “Hello you.”

“Hi, how was the trip?” She takes one of the babies.

“Vision is alive, but gone now. He’s mad about the Steve thing.” Tony knows it’s a sore subject with Pepper because she was mad at him for months over that. He knows that he handled it poorly. Okay, so he knows that he majorly fucked up. As a joke after the reversal he’d made that comment and it had spiraled from there. This was all his fault and Steve had disappeared because of it. Although he’s pretty sure that something happened between Steve and Barnes too, he just couldn’t figure out what.

“I know, I know.” He leans in and kisses her again. “I’m going to fix it if I can ever find him.”

“You damn well better Anthony.” Oh, she called him Anthony. He better fix this.

The night before the art opening, Steve, Clint, Laura and Wanda are in Denver, having dinner with Sebastian. He sits a little closer to Steve that is proper, but Steve doesn’t seem to mind, although, Steve has figured out why he likes Sebastian so much. He reminds Steve of Bucky. Knowing that, makes Steve question whether he could ever really have something with the man. He can’t fool himself into thinking it’s Bucky and he can’t use Sebastian in that way. So, he works really hard to keep it friendly. After dinner, they return to the hotel. Clint and Wanda go up to bed, but Laura pulls Steve into the bar.

He knows she’s going to ask and decides that it’s probably time he says it out loud. Maybe if he does, he can let it go. He looks up at her after their drinks arrive. “Go ahead. Ask.”

She smirks. “You know me so well.” She takes a drink and a deep breath. “Why won’t you let Sebastian in?”

Steve doesn’t pretend that he doesn’t know what she means and answers her honestly. “Because he reminds me of Bucky.”

She wasn’t expecting that. “Then why aren’t you with Bucky?”

“It’s a long story.”

She laughs. “I’ve got time.”

Clearing his throat, he downs the drink and gives the bartender a signal to bring another. After the new one is poured, he clears his throat again. “Bucky and I were friend from the time I was six and he was seven. I fell in love with him when I was a teenager, but didn’t realize what it was until we moved in together after my ma died.” He takes a sip. “Then he went off to war and I followed after the serum.” He doesn’t want to get emotional, but it happens anyway. She lays her hand over his to give him courage. “After the battle with Thanos and everyone was…gone.” He feels Laura shiver and knows that it’s a bad subject for her. “I had to give up part of myself to reverse what happened. A sacrifice had to be made and I sacrificed the only thing I had…him. It had become a part I played because after awhile, I didn’t even know what I believed in anymore.” She nods because that much has become obvious. “Anyway, Bucky went to go and have his arm checked and wounds tended to and Shuri was giving him a thorough once over and I walked into the lab. I saw more than I was supposed to, I guess.” She looks questioningly at him. “Bucky’s…Bucky’s….” He can’t say it without feeling like he’s betraying his friend. He gets angry at that because it means that Bucky never trusted him with their friendship. Bucky should have known that Steve wouldn’t care about that, but he thought Steve would turn on him. Steve understood in that moment why Bucky never went around in any state of undress. Why his mother hovered over him so much. Why his dad was an ass of a man that looked at Bucky like he was everything wrong. It made Steve sick to think that Bucky had to live his life that way.

“You can tell me and I will never repeat anything you say. Not even to Clint.” She holds his hand tightly.

“I’ve looked it up since then and Bucky is what’s called intersexed.” Laura’s eyes get wide. “I walked into the lab and I saw him and he threw me out and told me to never talk to him again.” Tears track down his face and he wipes them away viciously. They sit in silence for awhile.

“Does it make you love him any less?”

Steve shudders a breath. “No, it doesn’t. I’ve never loved anyone or anything more than I do him.” He finally looks up at her. “That’s why I can’t be with Sebastian. It wouldn’t be fair to him or anyone else.” After Steve had looked it up, he started to understand why Bucky had overcompensated all those years he’d known him. To be a man’s man, he had to act the part. A different girl every night, wild stories about his exploits, which Steve is now sure were all made up because he never would have been with a woman if there was a chance she would tell anyone about him. Bucky had lied all those years to hide himself. Steve went to bed and cried for his friend and for himself.

Bruce sat in his lab and stared at the screen. Thor was helping Loki figure out how to get a kitten video to play on the holoscreen, but when Bruce choked on a sob, Thor came to his friend. “Another failure, my friend?”

Bruce took off his glasses, wiped his eyes and looks up at his large, blond friend. “No, I figured it out. I can fix it.”

Thor grinned that infectious grin and Loki came over to look at the equation. “Interesting in its simplicity.”

Bruce looked up at the trickster. “That’s what I thought when I finally got it.” They begin to babble about science and Thor goes back to the kitten videos.

“Well Dr. Banner, now we just have to find him.” Bruce nods and looks back at the screen.

Natasha has not gone to the farm, well she hasn’t made her presence known at the farm. She’s spent a year watching the family, her family, take in a new member. Then Wanda showed up and it seemed to get a little bigger. Wanda has been staying in Steve’s apartment and Steve has been painting the most beautiful pieces of art that Natasha’s ever seen. When they aren’t home, she lets herself in and looks through what he’s been doing. There’s one. It sits on a separate easel and stays covered most of the time. It’s of Barnes. Natasha spent almost an hour looking at it last time she was here because it’s so breathtaking that she couldn’t turn away.

She knows they are in Denver and she knows why they are in Denver. It seems that Steve Rogers is about to be the biggest name the art world has seen in a long time. There’s a part of her that’s jealous. Jealous that her little slice of heaven, with her family was being expanded. She tried to put that aside, but no matter how she tried, she kept coming back to the fact that she didn’t think she would be welcome because of her part in Steve leaving. Not only that, but how Clint had looked at her with shame at her words to their former leader.

She breaks into Steve’s apartment again and goes to the easel in the corner. Lifting the cover she sucks in a breath. He’s finished it and it’s even more breathtaking than it was before. Clicking a picture of it, she texts it to Sam. She knows where he is and hopes that he’ll do with it what she wants him to.

Sam’s been in Wakanda for three days when the text from Nat comes through. He looks at the painting and reads her message about Steve’s art show. He smiles, thinking that his friend is coming into his own. His friend. His former friend. And he cringes at that. Bucky comes in from the river, seeing Sam’s face, he stops.

“What’s got you tied in a knot?” Going into the kitchen, he comes back with water and sits in the other chair.

Sam weighs consequences of what he’s about to do and goes for it. “Steve’s been discovered by a gallery owner and had a show two nights ago.” His phone buzzes again and Bucky’s face is blank. Reading the message from Natasha, he smiles. “It seems that he’s being lauded as the greatest artist of the 21st century.”

“Why would I care about that?” Bucky’s face may be blank, but his eyes are not. “He doesn’t care about me and doesn’t want me in his life.”

Sam taps the painting to make it full screen. “Really? Then why did he do this?” He turns the screen so that Bucky can see. “If that isn’t painted out of love, then I don’t know what is.”

Bucky tears up and takes the phone. “He did this?”

Sam shakes his head in disbelief. “Yes, he did that and keeps it for himself. You know why he didn’t put it in the show?” Bucky shakes his head. “Because it’s private, it’s just for him, it’s his fucking heart on a canvas and he didn’t want anyone else seeing it.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Yes, you do. You’ve always known what to do.” Bucky looks pleadingly at him. “Barnes, listen man, I know you love him. I’ve known that for years and I can tell you that he loves you too. He never gave up on you, even before the helicarriers, he was always on your side. He always believed that he could bring you home. You just have to let him.”

Vision shows up at the farm a week after the gallery opening. Steve is surprised, confused and elated to see him standing at his door. Wanda nearly passes out, but Vision catches her and pulls her close. “I have been searching for you.”

“When? How?” She and Vision sit quietly on the sofa looking at each other with such devotion that Steve has to excuse himself or risk crying for his own loss. He doesn’t return to his apartment that night, instead sleeping on the couch in Clint’s living room.

“I can’t believe he found us.” Clint sits with Steve as he tries to sleep. “Maybe this place isn’t as secure as I thought.

Steve chuckles. “Come on, Clint. That’s Vision, if anyone was going to be able to track Wanda down, it was going to be him.”

“I wonder how he’s back.” He’s sitting back in the chair, feet up on the coffee table and head back against the chair.

“Shuri probably. She downloaded Vision into her mainframe before the attack. Said later that she didn’t want to take any chances that he would be lost.”

“I’m glad. For Wanda sake. She hasn’t been the same without him.” Steve just nods. Not long after he falls into a fitful sleep. Clint stays in the chair the rest of the night. Laura finds him there the next morning.

She wakes him with a kiss and he smiles up at her. She looks confused by Steve sleeping on the couch. “Vision found us and spent the night at Steve’s with Wanda.” She smiles and goes to the kitchen to make coffee.

Breakfast is a ridiculous affair with so many people in the kitchen. Steve helps Laura with the food while Wanda and Vision corral the kids with fruit. “I believe that Nathaniel likes peaches better than the grapes.” Vision reaches over, placing a small bit of peach in Nathaniel’s mouth. He grins at the strange looking man and Vision smiles back. “Are all children so…” He doesn’t finish because he doesn’t know the word he looking for.

Wanda finishes for him. “Cute?”

He leans up, kissing her softly. “Yes, cute.”

Clint grins. “No, they aren’t. Only my kids are this cute.”

Laura giggles and Steve pushes her shoulder. “What? I can’t help it if we make pretty babies.”

“I’m not saying you don’t make pretty babies, but you don’t make the only pretty babies.” Steve’s been riding a high of being a new up and coming artist.

Clint frowns. “I don’t know Steve, you may have to leave if you can’t agree that my kids are cuter than any others.”

Steve points towards the living room wall. “You think I would have spent all that time painting them if they weren’t the cutest.”

Laura shoulder checks him this time. “Good save my friend.”

The laughing and talking continues through breakfast and after all the cleaning is done. The day is spent doing nothing of importance, except feeding the animals. Vision helps and becomes enamored by the horses. He helps Clint lead them to the pasture so they can roam for the day. “It’s good to have you back man.”

Vision doesn’t look away from the majestic animals. “It is good to be back. I do not know how it is possible, but I believe that I…missed…Wanda.”

“That’s what love does.” He pats Vision’s shoulder as he makes his way back to the barn.

Still watching the horses and lost in thought. “Yes, indeed.” Wanda joins him shortly after and he wraps an arm around her, pulling her close. She melts into his side like she never left.

The lift leading to Stark’s penthouse dings with an arrival. Sam and Bucky exit. Sam seems more at home and walks in comfortably, but Bucky hangs back at the lift doors, unsure of his welcome. “Don’t just stand there, Robocop, get in here so we can figure this out.”

Bucky comes hesitantly into the room when two tiny humans crawl in from the kitchen followed by Pepper. She comes to Bucky, extending her hand. “Mr. Barnes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He shakes her hand and looks down at one of the babies, clinging to his leg with one hand and reaching up with the other. Muscle memory of younger sisters at this age flood his mind and without thinking he reaches down and swings the child up. She giggles and grabs his hair. “And who might you be?” Just as Pepper is about to answer, another set of hands reach up. “Oh, and other one.” Bucky reaches down, scooping the second up with his metal arm. He’d had Shuri reattach it when this trip was planned. Looking at Pepper, he grins. “You have your hands full with these two.”

She laughs and looks at Tony. “Just between you and me, he’s more trouble than they are.”

“HEY!” Tony looks over at her. “I’ve been much better since they were born.”

She smiles at him. “Yes, you have and I thank you for not giving me any heart attacks recently.” With a hand on Bucky’s back, she leads him to the sofa. “Now, Mr. Barnes, Sam, what can we do for you?” They talk for an hour or so, when Tony, Pepper and Sam realize that the twins have fallen asleep on Bucky, who has them cuddled against his chest. Whatever reservations that Tony might have had about forgiving this man, are gone. His kids are very good judges of character and if they trust him enough to snuggle up to him and nap, then Tony can trust him to find and bring Steve home. “I’ve contacted Shuri and she’s going to start trying to scan for the stone in Visions head. If we can track him, we can find Steve.”

The lift doors open and Bruce comes in with Thor and Loki. Tony still has an issue with the Trickster, but he also understands family and if Thor needs his brother, he’s not going to begrudge him that connection. Bruce doesn’t stop to say hello or take in who’s in the room, he just starts babbling. “I’ve run it over and over, 347 times and each time it’s the same. I have the formula and can fix Cap.”

“Well hello to you to Bruce.” Bruce blushes, but still doesn’t take in the room. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just need the chamber and we can reverse what he had to do to get everyone back.” Tony grins, but Bucky just sits sullenly.

Finally, he voices what he and Sam have been talking about. “What if he doesn’t want to have that back?”

The whole room turns on him. Loki grins at the picture he makes, with the sleeping babies. Sitting next to Bucky, Loki reaches out, but stops himself, looking at Pepper. She smiles softly and he lets a hand rest on the back of one of the twins. Tony is on edge, but the look on Loki’s face is one of rapture. “They are quite lovely, Mrs. Stark.”

“Thank you. Would you like to hold one?” Tony tries not to come out of his skin, but trusts his wife.

“I would very much like that.” Bucky shifts around and Pepper takes the twin from his right arm and hands her sleeping form over to the Trickster God, who just melts. Leaning back next to Bucky, he cuddles the little girl close. “I have not held a baby since my youngest was this size.”

Tony nearly falls over. “Wait, wait…you have kids?”

“Oh yes, I have three children. I have not seen them in many, many years.” Loki smells the top of the baby’s head. “I do miss that smell.”

Pepper giggles and watches as Loki leans his head back against the couch and just enjoys the comfort of a baby in his arms.

“This is by far the weirdest day I’ve had in a long time.” He looks at his wife. “Pepper, this is weird, right?”

“Oh I don’t now Tony, I’d say this is a normal day for the Avengers.” Sam just watches as Bucky and Loki compare the twins’ little fingers and chubby cheeks. Thor watches his brother with a gentle smile. It broke Loki’s heart when his three children left Asgard to start their own lives. It’s been years since he’s seen Loki this happy.

“Brother, perhaps you should consider having another of your own.” Thor sits on the arm of the sofa and brushes his fingers through the soft, wispy hair of the infant. “You were always a caring and doting mother.”

Tony and everyone else freeze. “Okay, explain that Point Break.”

Thor looks over. “You know I hate that name.” Tony smirks. “Loki is gender fluid in a way that Midgard does not understand.”

Bruce’s face lights up. “You mean…wait…so he can…he’s both male and female?”

Thor grins. “Yes, friend Bruce, that is exactly it.”

Loki looks to Bucky and Bucky knows that he knows. “It is not the curse that some may think. It is, in fact, freeing in many way. I do not have to live by the confines of one or the other.” The twin Loki is holding starts to wake. She looks up, rubs her little eyes and grins at Loki with a toothless, gummy smile. “Well, little one, aren’t you beautiful.”

Tony has just had his entire world stomped on, but can’t seem to be too upset when one of his daughters is looking at the God of Mischief like he’s the best thing on earth. “Everything I thought I knew and understood is over.”

Pepper goes to the kitchen to make a snack for the girls and that’s when the second twin wakes up, smiling at Bucky. “And you are just a gorgeous as your sister.” Bucky looks over at Loki and a silent conversation happens. Bucky smiles at him in a way that he hasn’t smiled about anything in a long time.

Later, when the scientists are discussing whatever it is that they need to talk about and Pepper and Sam are in the kitchen cooking dinner, Bucky sits on the balcony with Loki and Thor. “So, you know?”

Loki looks out at the evening sky. “I do not meet many like myself, so it was easy to spot.”

Thor looks over at Bucky. “So, friend Barnes, you are like my brother?”

Bucky blushes and pulls in on himself. “Ye…yeah.”

Thor brings over the drinks from the cart. “You are a very lucky man.” Bucky looks incredulous at him. “I have always envied my brother. Do not misunderstand, I am thankful for who I am, but to carry life, to bring into this world or any world a new life, it is an astounding thing.”

For the first time ever in Bucky’s life, he wonders if maybe this isn’t all going to be okay.

Tracking the stone is easier than Shuri thought it would be once the computer was calibrated correctly. Sending the coordinates to Tony, made everything much calmer in the Stark household. Sam and Bucky stayed a floor away in a guest apartment while Thor, Loki and Bruce returned to their own abodes. 

Tony had gone into the archives belonging to Howard and found reference to the chamber used in Project Rebirth. Bruce had synthesized the formula and kept it in the most secure place he could think of, Tony’s penthouse. It was still run by FRIDAY, who could lockdown the entire structure if necessary. Bruce stayed behind, working on getting everything set up, while the others took the quinjet to Nebraska. 

“Fucking Nebraska. Really? I mean could you get any further from civilization?” Tony hadn’t been able to let it go since they found out where Vision was. 

“Tony, just let it go.” Pepper watched the twins sitting on the floor playing with Bucky and Loki. “Just because you couldn’t live on a farm, doesn’t mean everyone is like you.”

“I’m not against living on a farm as long as it’s in the middle of New York.” Everyone in the jet laughs, making the twins laugh.

Pepper slips from her seat and onto the floor next to the girls. “Your daddy is a special, special man.”

“I heard that.”

“I meant for you to.” The girls giggle again.

When they arrive, Tony lands the jet in the same place as last time. He knows they’ve been heard when Laura comes out on the porch. She goes to the door and yells something inside. Bundling the twins up, they descend the ramp. The cool autumn air is refreshing and the farm looks beautiful. Laura and Clint come out to meet them. “I wasn’t expecting a visit.”

Tony can see the look of mistrust on Clint’s face. “I had a feeling if we called ahead, you wouldn’t have been available.”

“You’re probably right.” Pepper steps forward with one of the girls and Loki stands next to her with the other. He hands the baby over to Tony, who kisses her cheek and smiles at the God.

Clint looks even more suspicious now. “I really hope you are all in your right minds and not being controlled.”

“Clint, a lot has changed. Let us explain everything.” Sam has been quiet this whole trip because for him it’s not about making amends with Steve for himself or the others, it’s about Bucky.

“Why don’t we stay on the porch for that? I don’t know that I want any of you in my house yet.” Tony seems exasperated, but doesn’t push.

“Fine.” As they head to the porch, Bucky finally makes his way down the ramp. Clint nudges Laura, who looks at the man. He’s not what she expected. He’s not arrogant or brooding, he looks frightened and small. Laura looks at Clint and they shrug at each other.

As they start talking the girls start to fuss. Pepper turns to Laura. “Would it be alright if I warm their bottles?”

Loki takes one of the girls and cuddles her close. “It’s alright little one, Mommy is getting it.” One starts to fuss more and the other joins in. Bucky comes forward and Tony hands her over so that he can talk to Clint. Loki and Bucky shush the girls and rock them back and forth. Laura comes back out and watches Bucky like a hawk. It’s his eyes that give him away. There’s something missing that is in the painting of him. The spark of life is missing. She feels sad for him. Sam watches her, watching Bucky and knows that she is aware of what this is all about. He wishes that he did, so that he could have been a better friend.

With the bottles ready, Laura decides they need to take this inside for the sake of the babies. Clint gives her one of those husband and wife silent conversations looks, but nods. She nods and they head in. The first thing that Bucky sees is the painting of Clint’s kids. He knows it’s Steve’s and goes to it directly. Laura comes over to him, while the other’s talk. “He did this about a month after he got here. I couldn’t believe that he had that much talent.”

“He’s always been that way. When he was a kid, he was sick all the time. His ma got him into drawing to keep his mind off whatever sickness he had.” He reaches out, but doesn’t touch. “He’s more talented now.”

“Yes, he’s got a career in art that’s taken off. He’s as happy as he _can_ be.” Bucky turns to her and examines what she is conveying to him without words.

“As happy as he can be?”

“Well, there is a man, very interested in having a life with Steve, but Steve can’t let himself have that.” A look flashes in Bucky’s eyes and she sees it for what it is: jealousy.

“And why do you think he can’t let himself have that?”

She smirks. “Because he’s been in love with someone else for almost a century. Kinda hard to top that.” 

He wants to say something, but doesn’t know what. Finally, he just caves and says what he needs to. “I know how that feels.”

She takes his arm and leads him from the room. Pepper had been watching the exchange, as had Sam, and both smiled at the turn of events. Laura leads him out the back door and across the yard towards the barn. “The stairs inside lead up to his apartment. Wanda and Vision are up there too. You hurt him, they won’t let you walk away.” With that, she leaves him to continue on his own.

Knocking on that apartment door is the hardest things that Bucky’s ever done. With everything he’s been through, that’s the thing that makes him think about turning and running. When he does knock, Wanda opens the door, Vision just behind her. “You better not be here to hurt him again.”

“I’m not.”

Steve comes out of the kitchen. “Wanda, who…” He freezes and Bucky takes in everything that is Steve. He’s even more beautiful than Bucky remembered. “Bucky.”

“Hiya, Stevie. Think we could talk?” Wanda takes Vision’s hand and they slip passed Bucky and down the stairs.

“Yeah…yeah…okay.” Steve is shaking and Bucky knows exactly how he feels. “Sit, I’ll fix some coffee.” Steve goes back into the kitchen and leans heavily on the counter, trying to control his breathing. He can do this. He can say what he needs and watch Bucky walk away. Fixing the coffee, he carries two cups back into the living room. “I hope you don’t mind black. I don’t have anything else, but sugar. You want sugar? I can get it…”

“Blacks fine.” They sit in silence and take random sips from their cups, not looking at each other.

Bucky huffs a humorless laugh. “Remember when we could talk about anything and everything. Now here we are, afraid to breathe in front of each other.”

Steve chuckles, but it holds no mirth either. “Yeah, I guess we aren’t very good friends anymore.” Bucky’s shoulders slump and he wonders if this was a good idea. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah…sure.”

Steve turns his body on the sofa toward Bucky. “I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I’m just curious.” Bucky nods knowing it’s going to be a question about…that. “How did you get into the army?”

Bucky doesn’t mean to, but he busts out laughing. Of all the things that Steve could ask, of course he’s asks that. “They looked me up and down and didn’t check anything else. Took a little blood and urine sample, but didn’t really push too much further than that.”

Steve sighs. “Would have been nice if they’d done that for me. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to be a lab rat.”

Bucky laughs again. “I don’t know. If you hadn’t been a lab rat, I would have died in that factory along with the other Commandos.”

“Yeah, suppose that’s true.” Steve can’t take it anymore, so he just asks. “Why are you here? Why are the others here?”

Bucky takes a heavy breath and can hardly get enough air. How does he do this? What can he say to that? He decides on the truth. “You came into the lab that day and I just knew that you were repulsed by what you saw. I didn’t give you a chance to prove me wrong. It was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done and I wish I could take it back. I came here because I love you, Steve. I came here because I don’t want to live another day without you next to me. I came here to beg if that’s what I gotta do.”

Steve sucks in a breath, staring wide eyed at Bucky. “You don’t gotta beg. All you ever had to do was ask.”

A weight that’s been carried for decades, starts to slip away, but there’s one more thing he’s got to know. “You don’t care about the other thing?”

Steve reaches over, cupping Bucky’s cheek delicately. “Buck, I wouldn’t have cared when we were kids. It was you that I loved and still do.” Leaning in, but giving Bucky enough time to pull away if he wants, which he doesn’t, Steve’s lips press lightly to Bucky’s in a soft, chaste kiss. Resting his forehead on Bucky’s cheek after, Steve starts to giggle. “I’ve wanted to do that since I was 14.”

“Was it worth the wait?” Bucky nuzzles into Steve’s hair.

“Hell yeah it was.” He looks up at Bucky. “It’s not going to piss you off if I call you beautiful, is it?”

“I’ll let you get away with that, if you let me get away with tellin you you’re the prettiest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen.” Steve blushes and Bucky takes his face between his hands, stroking his cheeks. “I used to look at you and think you were really an angel, then you’d go and start another fight and I thought you were a demon.”

Steve laughs loud and long, then pushes further into Bucky’s space and kisses him again. Bucky moans into it and pulls Steve into his lap. “I like that you can move me around. Always did.”

“Too bad it ain’t gonna last.” Steve stops and looks at Bucky.

“What do you mean?”

“Bruce found a way to reverse it.” He looks at the door. “That’s why Tony and the others are here.”

Steve gets up and goes to the easel in the corner. He’s thought a lot about this question. If he could get back to what he was before, would he? The answers always the same. “I don’t wanna do that, Buck.”

Bucky gets up, coming up behind Steve and sliding his arms around the slim waist. “Then don’t. Never cared how big you were, Stevie. Just wanted you to love me for me.”

Steve relaxes back into the embrace and couldn’t love Bucky anymore than he does in that minute. “I love you so fucking much. I can’t even put it into words.”

Bucky’s hand slides up Steve’s torso and rests on his heart. “There aren’t words for how I feel about you. Love isn’t big enough to cover everything I’ve been carrying.” Turning Steve in his arms, locking eyes. “Let me show you for every day to come what you mean to me.”

Steve cuddles into Bucky’s chest. “Sounds almost like a proposal, Barnes.”

“We’ve waited long enough, don’t ya think?” Steve’s head shoots up.

“You’re serious?”

“Damn straight I am. I want to be the husband of a famous artist. What do you think? Think I could pull it off?”

Steve snickers. “As long as no one asks you about art, we should be fine.” They giggle and kiss all the way to the bedroom. They lay in bed kissing for what feels like hours when Steve finally speaks up. “I don’t know how you want to do this. I know I want to be with you, in any way you are willing. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

Bucky flushes and coughs. “Well, seein as how I’ve never done this before, we’re going to have to figure it out together.” He buries his face in Steve’s neck, kissing and sucking bruises. “You saw in the lab that I have both sorta, and according to Shuri, I can do either.” He pauses, but Steve knows him well enough to know that he’s got more he needs to say. “You should know…” He coughs in nervousness again.

“Buck, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t wanna and if you don’t ever wanna do this, I don’t care. I’ll take you any way I can get you.”

Bucky thought he couldn’t love Steve anymore than he already did, but he’s just be proven wrong. “You’d do that for me? You’d go without?”

“What I have with you, what I always had with you, was more than that. Don’t get me wrong, I wanna kiss every inch of you and make you crazy, but if that isn’t in the cards for us, because you aren’t comfortable, I’d rather go without than do that to you.” Steve sits up a little so that Bucky can see his face and know that he’s not lying.

They stare at each other for several minutes, the Bucky blushes again. “I don’t want to go without.” He watches Steve’s face morph into a grin. “I do think I better tell you a little more. I’ve got some other…parts that are female too.” Steve quirks an eyebrow. “I have internal stuff.”

Steve cocks his head to the side and takes in what Bucky is saying. When it finally sinks in all the way, his eyes go wide. “What does that mean exactly?”

Bucky blushes. “I’m not really sure.”

Steve furrows his brow. “I don’t need anything else. But you gotta tell me if anything we do hurts you. I don’t wanna ever hurt you.” They spend the night finding all the ways to make each other feel connected and loved.

Steve doesn’t take the serum and doesn’t leave his apartment on Clint’s farm. He does accept the apologies of the other members of the team, but doesn’t want that life anymore. Bucky stays with Steve and they go back and forth between the farm, Denver and a gallery in New York.

He does become a big name in the art world and keeps painting. Bucky spends days working with Clint and helping in any way that he can. It’s been over a six months. Steve is in New York for six weeks and Bucky is going insane without him. Having Steve the way he always wanted, with Steve happy and content in his own life, has turned Bucky into a sappy romantic. He remembers when Steve was small, before, but knowing that he’s healthy this time, makes all the difference. Instead of worrying about him getting sick or having an asthma attack, he just has to worry about Steve eating when he’s painting.

While Steve’s been gone, Laura has been giving Bucky cooking lessons, which she’s happy to say, he’s excelling at. “I’ve never made creole before Bucky. We’re going to have to learn this one together.”

He smiles at her and keeps chopping the onions and peppers. “It makes a huge pot, so everyone can eat it. I’ll put some in the freezer for when Steve gets home.” The last part of the sentence is said with some melancholy. 

“You miss him, huh?” She hasn’t stopped chopping the celery, but does glance over at him.

“I’m that obvious, huh?” She giggles and keeps chopping.

“A little, yeah.”

She comes over, kisses him on the cheek and they finish the meal, which comes out phenomenally well.

Tony looks at Bruce. “What are we going to do?”

“Tony, we can’t force him to do it.” He secures the files in the safe. They’ve been over and over them, thinking of ways to convince Steve to come back and take the serum. “It was always his choice.”

“I don’t understand though.” He’s running his hand across the desk. “He’s Captain Fucking America! He’s nothing without that.”

The voice from the door surprises both of them. Loki looks at them sadly. “Maybe that is why. Maybe the fact that you think he is nothing without the serum and the shield is why he does not want it.”

He turns and walks out, finding Thor and Pepper in the living room, he sits on the floor to play with the twins. Tony and Bruce come barreling into the room. “What the hell was that supposed to mean?”

Loki looks up forlornly. “You did not mean the apology you gave him if you still think he is nothing without it.”

“Tony, what the hell is he talking about?” Pepper looks angry and Tony doesn’t like angry Pepper.

“I may have hinted that he’s less than…” Bruce elbows him. “All right, fine! Why would he refuse if he can be Cap again? I don’t understand the decision. He’s this little, worthless guy that’s doing nothing with his life.”

Thor looks over at his brother. “Perhaps brother, Stark does not understand what Steven’s life is now.” Loki grins at his brother. “Perhaps we should show him.”

Tony starts to back away, but Bruce stops him. Bruce agrees to watch the twins while the rest of them dress in their finest and call a car. “Where are we going?” Pepper is just as curious as Tony, but Thor and Loki refuse to reveal their destination.

Steve made sure that Sebastian understood that he was not to send an invitation to the gallery opening to Pepper. Of course, it would have been great if Pepper Potts-Stark were in attendance, but Steve didn’t want Tony to show up and have to have _that_ conversation again. He wasn’t trying to snub anyone, but he didn’t want that to happen in the middle of a gallery opening.

Pepper is thrilled when they walk into the Michael Werner Gallery. Tony, not so much, but when he sees Clint and Steve, he stops in his tracks. Pepper runs for her friend. He turns in time to get hugged breathless, then sees Thor, Loki and Tony. Steve and Clint are hugged and patted on the shoulder more than once. Steve walks them around the instillation of his work. Pepper is mesmerized. Loki is equally enthralled and talks with Steve about his inspiration and use of color and shape. There’s one piece that stops Tony in his tracks. If he hadn’t been then, he wouldn’t know what it is, but he was there and it hurts to look.

“Why would you paint this?” Steve stops his chatter with Loki and Thor and turns to Tony.

“Because I had to let that chapter of my life close. Some people drink, some go to therapy, I paint.” Pepper looks between the two.

Tony is trying not to cry, but finding it hard. “What is this piece?” She looks at her husband worried.

“It’s the day I made the sacrifice to bring everyone back.” Pepper turns to him, shocked and awed by the admission.

Tony doesn’t take his eyes from the painting. “How much?”

Steve looks at him confused. “What?”

“How much?” That’s the moment that Sebastian comes over.

“Mr. Stark, what an honor. I’m Sebastian Tyler, Steve’s my client. If you would come with me, we can talk about the price.”

Tony turns to look at the man that couldn’t possible understand that painting. “I don’t need to discuss the price. Tell me how much it is and I’ll pay it.”

Steve looks apologetically at Pepper and starts to speak, but she shakes her head. Sebastian doesn’t seem fazed. “That one is $275,000 because it’s a mystery.” Pepper looks at him questioning. “Steve won’t explain its meaning to anyone.”

Tony looks at the painting again. “I don’t need an explanation. I was there.” For the first time Sebastian looks at the painting, then at Steve and starts to understand.

The gallery closes and Steve finds Tony waiting for him outside. “Why Steve?”

Steve hangs his head and nods for Clint and Sebastian to go on without him. “Why what? Why did I make the choice? Why did I walk away? Why did I not take the serum when you offered? Which question do you want me to answer, Tony?”

Tony looks like he wants to blow a gasket. “All of them! Damnit Steve, you were our leader. Our fucking moral compass and you just walked away from us.”

Steve red and fuming. “Don’t you dare! You told me I was useless to you without the serum. You told me I was a hopeless case without my abilities. You said you were right all along and everything special about me really did come out of a bottle!”

“It was a joke.” Tony looks horrified. “I meant all of that as a joke. That’s what I do, Cap. When I don’t know what to do and can’t see an out, I joke.”

“Well, I didn’t see it that way. And when everyone else laughed and made their ‘funny’ comments, I knew my place with you was gone.” He walks away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He calls back over his shoulder, “And don’t ever call me Cap again.”

Steve goes straight to the bar when he walks back into the hotel. Ordering a whiskey, neat he pulls out his phone. It rings a couple of times, then the sleepy voice of the love of his life, answer. “ello.”

“Hey beautiful.”

There’s shuffling on the other end and Steve is sure he’s woke Bucky up. “Steve? What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

“Tony showed up at the gallery. He not only saw the painting, he bought it, then cornered me on the street.”

“Jesus baby, are you okay.” Steve melts every time Bucky calls him that.

“Yeah, I am now.” If Bucky’s become a romantic sap, Steve’s twice as bad.

The six week trip to New York is cut short. Sebastian agrees to stay, but Steve and Clint return to the farm. When Bucky and Laura find out they are headed back, they start cooking.

During dinner, Bucky and Laura keep looking at each other. Clint sees it because he’s a spy, or was, Steve sees it because he knows Bucky better than he knows himself.

“I fixed that fence in the north pasture.” Clint beams at Bucky.

“Man you could have waiting until I got back.”

Laura quirks an eyebrow. “He should have waiting until you got back. Passing out while working with power tools was dangerous.”

Steve jumps and looks panicked at Bucky. Bucky stares daggers at Laura. “You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“Nope, couldn’t keep carrying this secret around.” She stands from the table. “Sweetheart, why don’t you help me with dessert?”

Clint looks torn between doing what his wife says and staying to protect Bucky, but gets up because his wife is scarier. “Good luck buddy.”

“Buck?” Steve looks scared to death.

“I’m fine, Steve.” Steve starts to argue when Bucky pulls something out of the pocket of his hoodie and puts it on the table in front of Steve. “I’m fine.”

Steve looks down at a white stick with a plus sign on it. He picks it up and looks at it confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Listen, Stevie, I didn’t plan this and didn’t really think it could happen, but it did and it’s been 12 weeks and it’s safe now and I really want this with you, but if you don’t…well if you don’t…I don’t know what I’m going to do. Oh god…Steve, tell you want this.” Bucky is huffing and wild eyed.

“Buck…calm down…whatever this is, we’ll figure it out.” He’s got his hands on Bucky’s cheeks.

Bucky realizes that Steve has no idea what the white stick means. “I’m pregnant Steve.”

Steve’s hands drop and so does his jaw. “Yo…wha…are…”

“Uh…are you okay?” Just as Bucky is sure that Steve’s going to walk away because this is the last thing he wants, he grins a grin that takes over his face.

Reaching down, he puts his hand on Bucky’s stomach. “Are you sure?”

“Laura took me to a doctor that confirmed it. I have video of the ultrasound.” He pulls his phone out. “You wanna hear the heartbeat?” Steve just nods. Bucky presses play and a fuzzy picture with a fluttering is shown, then the rapid thumping of a strong, solid heartbeat can be heard. Steve’s jaw hits the floor again and this time tears gather in his eyes and he leans forward, resting his forehead against Bucky’s shoulder.

“I didn’t think I could love you anymore than I already did.” He looks up at Bucky. “I was wrong.”

For the next several weeks, Steve’s quiet, but not withdrawn. If anything he’s doting on Bucky like he’s something even more precious than before. When Bucky asked, that’s basically what Steve told him. What he’s giving them is a gift that Steve can’t get over. Bucky gets breakfast in bed every morning and Steve fixes dinner every night. During the day he fixes Bucky little snacks that he knows the brunette can’t resist. Laura watches as Steve plays with the kids in the yard and Bucky sits off to the side watching with a soft smile on his face and a hand on his stomach.

After spending time with Loki, Bucky had come to realize that it wasn’t a curse, but a gift and if he could give something this special to his little family, then maybe it would wipe some red from his ledger. She’d told him he didn’t have any red because it was never his idea, but he still felt like this was his chance to do something good. When he shared this with Steve, the blond had simply smiled and told him he was always good, always decent, and this was just proof of that.

Steve comes into the farmhouse a morning a month after finding out. He asks to use Clint’s office. Laura doesn’t ask why, just nods, but looks critical after him. There’s only one reason to use the office, that’s where the computer system is. She knows that Bucky is probably in the shower in the apartment and has no idea what Steve is up to.

Steve sits for a few minutes before signing on to Clint’s computer. Inputting the number, he waits for the answer. Bruce picks up on the forth ring of the skype call. “Steve?”

“Hey Bruce.” They stare at each other for a minute, then Steve plows forward. He tells Bruce that Bucky has a condition, but not what that entails. He questions Steve on everything and Steve shares what he can. “I need a favor.”

Bruce nods. “Anything.”

“I want to take the serum.” Bruce’s face goes neutral for a minute. “Listen, I don’t want to come back to the team. I want this life, but I also want to be able to protect Bucky in the best way possible and you know that there are factions out there that, if they found out he was in a weakened state, they would come for him. I can’t let that happen.”

“So what do you need from me?”

“I don’t want this to be a big deal and Tony will make it a big deal. I want it to just be you and me.”

Bruce shakes his head. “Steve, I can’t do this alone. The process isn’t set up that way. I’ll need at least two other people in the lab with me.”

Steve’s face falls. “Oh.”

Bruce seems to get excited. “Wait, how soon did you want to do this?”

“The sooner the better.”

“Tony, Pepper and the girls are gone for another week. If you come now, I think I know who can help.”

“I’ll fly out tonight.”

“Better yet, I’ll send someone for you.”

They set up a meet time and Steve signs off. He goes into the kitchen as Bucky is coming in the back door. “I have to go to New York for a couple of days.”

Bucky looks stunned. “What? Why?”

“The gallery, they did something with one of the paintings that I didn’t want done. I’ve got to go get it straightened out.” He goes to Bucky, pulling him into a hug. Hormones are a bitch and Bucky’s have been all over the place. “I’m sorry.”

Bucky takes a deep breath and sniffles. “I understand. Sorry about the hormones.”

Steve looks up at him and cups his face. “Don’t ever, ever apologize for anything to do with this.” He leans up and kisses Bucky. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

The trip back is weird. Loki is babbling about kids and first words and lack of sleep and hands Steve a wolf stuffy. When they get to the lab, Thor and Bruce are waiting. Steve strips down to just his sweat pants and after talking through everyone’s job, Bruce has him step into the chamber. “There’s only enough for one try at this. If this doesn’t work, then it won’t ever work.” Steve nods as the injections start.

“I trust you. More than I trusted Howard Stark.” Bruce smiles as the last injection finishes and the machine pulls back. The chamber closes and sills. Loki turns the knob calling out the increase in strength with each click. Thor watches the indicator for anything that shouldn’t happen. A few seconds later Steve begins screaming and Bruce panics, but doesn’t stop the process. As the machine reaches full power, the screaming stops and Bruce panics again. Then…everything stops.

When the doors rise, Steve falls forward into Thor’s grasp. Bruce pulls his glasses off and looks at his friend. “You’re Cap again.”

Steve looks up exhausted. “No, I’ll never be Cap again. I’m just a bigger Steve.”

On the second day that Steve is gone, Bucky tries calling, but doesn’t get an answer. By the evening of the second day, he’s freaking out. As the sun is starting to set, he and Laura sit on the porch watching the kids play. Laura looks out at the distance and stands. “Clint!” He comes out on the porch too and looks at her line of sight.

“I’ll be damned.” Bucky looks up from his tea and drops the cup to the ground.

“Steve?”

Steve carries a suitcase with him, filled with his old clothes from the tower. They’d been boxed up, but no one had ever gotten rid of them. He looks up to see Bucky coming towards him. “What have you done?”

They stop several feet from each other and Steve can see the panic in Bucky’s eyes. His hand resting protectively on his stomach. “I did this for us, for him or her.”

“What the fuck does that mean? Putting yourself out there, in danger, is for us how?”

“I didn’t do this to be Cap again. I don’t want to be Cap again. I did it so I can keep you and that baby safe. Nothing is changing. I’m not walking away from this life. How could I? It gave me everything I ever wanted.” Bucky sobs and throws himself into Steve’s arms. “Don’t cry beautiful. I’d never leave you.”

It’s strange how just a short time Steve could get used to being cradled against Bucky’s chest. Now it’s Bucky’s turn and even though it’s odd, it feels nice to be bigger and able to cuddle Bucky against him. “No more shield. No more battles. No more, Steve.”

“Not on your life, Buck.”

At seven months pregnant, Bucky is waddling more than walking. Steve tries not to let him see the sappy, love-struck look, but he’s been caught more than once by Bucky. It was decided a month ago that Steve and Bucky can’t keep living in the apartment because it’s just not feasible, plus Bucky freaked out when he thought about the baby falling down the stairs, so Steve started looking for a place of their own. As it turns out, the neighboring ranch is newly on the market because old man Potter couldn’t handle it anymore and his daughter was moving him in with her. Steve goes over with Clint and takes picture after picture of the place. Bucky loves it and Steve buys it outright. 

Potter’s daughter had renovated the place about three years prior in hopes that her dad would sell, so Steve and Bucky don’t have any upgrades to worry about. There’s only one exception and that’s the nursery. They spend a ridiculous amount of time, according to Laura, picking out the perfect furniture and colors. Steve paints the walls a pale green and then does a mural across the walls. When he’s done, Bucky cries because it’s the story of Daddy and Papa, the really bloody parts left out, of course.

Their first visitors to the ranch, aptly renamed _End of the Line, _are Thor and Loki. Loki comes bearing gifts for any and every occasion. He and Bucky, who have some weird connection that Steve doesn’t understand, take a walk. Loki offers his arm and Bucky surprisingly takes it, leaning into the side of the God of Mischief. Thor sits with Steve on the porch, watching his love talking and laughing and oddly enough, Loki is genuinely laughing as well.

“You are happy, my friend.” Thor takes a drink of coffee.

“I’ve never been happier. This whole thing is a miracle.” He smiles softly at Bucky. “You know, we agreed to get married, but haven’t been able to find the time.”

Thor chuckles. “Pepper told us that you had another gallery in San Francisco want to show your paintings, but you refused.”

Steve nods. “I haven’t been to any gallery openings since taking the serum again. I don’t want people expecting something I can’t give.”

“You mean the shield.” Thor watches his brother create pictures in the sky. From what Thor can see, Loki is talking about his kids and giving Bucky a visual.

“Yeah, I mean the shield. As far as I know, Tony still doesn’t know what Bruce did.”

Thor laughs brightly. “Oh my friend, he knows. FRIDAY told him.”

Steve looks startles. “Then why no converging on the farm to drag me back?”

“Well, that would be Bruce. He told Tony…now how did he put that…ah yes…he told Tony to leave you the fuck alone.”

Steve barks a laugh that gets Bucky’s attention. He turns and they lock eyes, Bucky blushes and looks at the ground. “God, he’s beautiful.”

Thor sighs. “I thought once that I would have this, but I am no longer sure.” He claps Steve on the shoulder. “I understand, better than you know, why you felt that no one saw you.”

“She’s out there Thor. Trust me, a guy as great as you are, she’s out there. You just haven’t found her yet.”

Thor huffs a quiet laugh. “It could just as easily be a man, Steven.”

At eight months, Bucky comes into the kitchen one morning to Steve making pancakes and bacon. He shuffles over and wraps his arms around Steve’s middle and rests his forehead in between Steve’s shoulder blades. “I miss coffee.”

Steve chuckles quietly. “Soon you can have coffee again and we’ll need it.”

There’s a humf from Bucky as his hand slides south of Steve’s waistband. “Buck?”

“I miss other stuff too.” Turning the stove off, Steve turns in the embrace.

“I can do something about that right now if you want.” Bucky looks up with a glint in his eye and kisses Steve long and lingering. Just as he’s about to heat the kiss, Steve gets kicked by a tiny foot. Laughing, he turns back to the stove. “It would seem we’ve both been overruled. I think someone wants breakfast.”

“We are so screwed here Steve. This brat is already calling the shots.” There’s not anger behind the words and the grin on Bucky’s face lets Steve know that his use of the word brat was affectionate.

“Let me feed the two of you and then if you want, we can go back to bed and I’ll do anything you want.”

“Anything?”

Looking back over his shoulder he sees the hope in Bucky’s eyes. “Anything.”

At eight and a half months everything gets turned upside down. Wanda and Vision have come back to the farm for a visit and are staying in Steve’s old apartment. Sam shows up with Tony, Pepper, the twins who are fully mobile now, and Bruce. None of them know about Bucky. 

When Laura invites them for dinner, they drive over in Steve’s truck. Steve runs around to the passenger door to help Bucky get out, when the whole crew comes out onto the porch. When Bucky wiggles out of the truck and comes around the door, there’s a collective gasps from the newcomers.

“What the fuck is this?” Tony is grasping at Pepper, who is standing with her mouth agape.

Bucky stops at the bottom of the porch steps and stares at the wooden slats with open anger. “Stairs Stevie. Fucking stairs.” Steve chuckles, but the look from Bucky makes him suck in a breath. “I will make you sleep on the couch if you laugh at me again.”

“I swear I wasn’t laughing at you. But that was funny. Come on, Buck, it was a little funny.” Bucky glares at him. “Okay, not funny. I’m a horrible person and shouldn’t be allowed to breath.”

Bucky rolls his eyes. “Drama queen.” Steve starts to say something, but stops himself. Steve takes his arm and helps Bucky ascend the stairs.

Laura hugs both of them, as does Clint. The others still haven’t spoken. Bruce comes forward and hugs Steve, turning to Bucky he raises his eyebrows. Bucky smirks and hugs him. “This is unexpected.”

Bucky looks at Steve. “You didn’t tell anyone did you?”

“It wasn’t my story to tell, so no, I didn’t tell anyone.” He looks at the group. “Bucky’s pregnant.”

Bucky pops him in the chest. “Great save there love of my life.”

Steve chuckles and Bucky grins at him. “I do what I can.”

During dinner, everyone keeps looking at Bucky like he’s going to explode. Finally, he has enough and puts his fork down. “I’m intersexed. I didn’t know it was really possible to get pregnant, but apparently Steve’s super-soldier sperm had other ideas.”

“Hey! I wasn’t a super-soldier when this happened.” As the words leave his mouth, he really thinks about that.” “Oh god…what if…jesus…Buck…what…”

Bucky sees the realization come over Steve’s face. He’d made the connection months ago, but didn’t think it was a big deal. But Steve’s panic attack, the one he’s currently having, tells Bucky that maybe he should have said something. “Baby, come on Stevie, look at me.” Steve looks up with a pained look on his face. “There you go.” Bucky turns in his seat, cupping Steve’s face. Looking around, he sees that the others don’t understand the reaction. Looking back at Steve, he caresses his cheeks. “Okay, you listen to me, I don’t care if this baby is born with every illness you had as a kid. He or she will be loved and medicine is a lot more advanced now than it was then and we can afford anything the baby will need.”

Steve nods. “I didn’t think about all that. I was just so excited.” Bucky nods and leans in to kiss him.

“Keep being excited and I’ll use it against you for 2 AM feedings.” The table laughs.

Wanda leans forward on the table. “Well, you look just beautiful.” Bucky blushes and Steve kisses his hand.

Pepper clears her throat. “When you say intersexed…”

“I mean that I have both, sorta.” He goes back to eating.

“That’s why you and Loki get along so well.” Bucky nods at her and keeps eating.

The next several days are spent trying to rebuild what was lost after the war. Steve still has trouble trusting, but that trust goes to Sam first. They’d talk in the yard of the ranch, Bucky being more comfortable at home. Steve grinned when he started waddling around, cleaning and putting things in just the right place. Steve had read enough pregnancy books to know that it would be soon if Bucky was nesting.

Steve watches his beautiful boyfriend, who is sitting on the porch with Tony, laughing at something the billionaire is saying. “You are so whipped.”

Steve turns to Sam. “And your point is?” Sam just laughs harder.

“How’s the art career going?” Steve flushes, knowing that he’d have to get back to the galleries.

“It’s going. Sebastian is getting frustrated with me for not being at openings, but right now I just can’t leave.”

Sam nods. “I can understand that, but you did want this, so you’re going to have to get back out there.”

“Yeah, I know.” That’s when Tony starts to yell and Steve goes on high alert. Bucky’s groaning when he gets to the porch. Kneeling down, he brushes Bucky’s hair away from his face. “Sweetheart?” He doesn’t really need to ask because the puddle under Bucky is a dead giveaway.

“Stevie?” Picking Bucky up, he carries him to the truck.

“His bag is in the hall closet. Meet us at the doctor’s office. Clint has the address.” And he’s gone, Bucky screaming out his discomfort.

“I guess we’re having a baby.” Tony calls Clint, while Sam gets the bag.

Steve doesn’t leave his side. The doctor in town assured Steve and Bucky that she wouldn’t release anything about them, but did ask if she could write a paper about them, keeping their identities secret. They had agreed.

The birth is faster than anyone expected and the doctor made a joke that when the baby’s ready, he or she will make a grand entrance. Bucky screams, but never turns on Steve like so many movies indicate, he holds on as tight as he can and does everything the doctor tells him. Six hours and twenty-seven minutes later, she’s wailing her discomfort to the world.

The group in the waiting room cheers and the nurse shoots them a glare. A little later, Steve comes out carrying 7lbs and 6 ounces of beautiful baby girl. She looks up at her daddy in wonder and he looks at her with the same awe. Steve just beams at them as everyone ooh’s and aww’s over her. Bucky calls him back a few minutes later, not wanting to be too far from his little family.

Later that night, Steve cuddles in the bed with Bucky and the baby. “We have to name her. She can’t be baby girl forever.”

Steve lightly caresses her cheek, then looks at Bucky. “Oh, I don’t know, I think I’m going to be calling her that a lot.”

Bucky leans back into Steve’s chest. “Seriously Steve, we have to name her, but none of those ridiculous modern names. I want her to have a good, old fashioned name.”

“Let’s sleep on it and fill out the paperwork tomorrow.” Bucky’s already dozing in and out, so he nods and they sleep.

The next morning just before the discharge papers are signed, Steve and Bucky fill out the paperwork giving the baby her name. The middle name is a struggle, but they come up with a unique solution. Bucky puts up a fight with Steve about the last name and the blond finally concedes.

Getting settled in at home, Laura’s already waiting with enough food for two or three days. She holds the tiny bundle while Bucky and Steve eat. “What’s her name? I know you two struggled with it. What did you decide on?”

Bucky looks at Steve, who nods. “Eleanor Barnes Rogers.”

Laura beams at them. “It’s perfect. Now we just need to get Bucky on board with the last name.”

Bucky glares at her, but there’s no malice in it. Steve looks confused. “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

Laura chuckles. “Steve, don’t you think it’s about time you made an honest man out of this one?” She indicates Bucky, who blushes.

“I’ll marry you right now if you want.” He takes Bucky’s hand. “What do ya say, Buck? Think you can stand me for the rest of your life?”

Bucky doesn’t want to be emotional, but he can’t help it. “I can’t stand the idea of not having you for the rest of my life.”

Laura gets up, hands the baby over to Steve. “That’s my cue. I’m planning a wedding and you two have no say in it.”

They’re still staring open mouthed as she leaves.

Three weeks later, Steve and Bucky are very glad that Laura is planning the wedding because someone has figured out that if she cries, she gets picked up, no matter if it’s day or night. The team has started showing up every few days. Sometimes it’s just one or two, but other times it’s the whole damn crew. When that happens, Steve and Bucky take naps because Elie never has to cry to be held.

Bucky wakes first, knowing that it’s close to Elie’s feeding. He crawls out of bed as quiet as he can because Steve’s been getting up for every feeding at night, letting Bucky sleep. Walking into the kitchen, he doesn’t expect to see Black Widow holding his daughter and arguing the aesthetics of roses versus lilies. Natalia turns with baby and a bottle, looking guiltily at Bucky.

“Uh…you’re new.” Elie turns to the voice of her Papa and Nat looks like a deer caught in headlights.

For the first time that all of them have known her, Nat is less that eloquent. “Uh…yeah…”

Laura watches the emotions flit across Bucky’s face. “Nat came to help with the wedding planning.” She’s watching Bucky’s reaction.

Nat acts like she’s going to hand the baby over and run, but Bucky sits next to Laura and indicates they should continue. Nat seems surprised. “You aren’t going to make me wear a powder blue tux are you?”

Nat snorts and goes back to talking about the flowers. “All I’m saying is roses are cliché and lilies are classy.”

Bucky looks down at the pictures. “Lilies were Sarah’s favorite flower.” They look at him. “Steve’s mom, they were her favorite.”

Laura waves her hands. “And we go with lilies.”

Steve comes stumbling in seconds later, rubbing his eyes. “Buck? Is it time to feed…” His words stop when he sees Nat with his daughter. “Nat?”

Bucky gets up and nuzzles into Steve’s neck. “I think they’re going to make me wear a powder blue tux.”

Steve wraps his arms around Bucky. “What’s wrong with a powder blue tux?”

Laura snorts again. “That’s why you aren’t planning this.”

Nat laughs. “Barnes, you sure you want to deal with that for the rest of your life.”

Steve smirks at Bucky and he knows that Steve said it on purpose just to get a rise out of Laura. “Well, someone has to take him.”

“You’re an asshole.” That makes Bucky snort and Steve beams.

Another three weeks and Elie is grinning at everyone and anything. They are at Clint’s farm for Sunday dinner when Steve’s phone rings. Looking at the name on the screen, he knows that the time has come to face the music. He looks at Bucky, who knows. Accepting the call, he sighs. “Sebastian, what can I do for you?”

There’s a huff on the other end. “Steve, listen, I know you have a lot going on, but the New York and San Francisco galleries are on edge and want the artist in house.”

Bucky is leaning in, listening. He looks at Steve and mouths ‘go.’ Steve shakes his head. “I understand, but I need two more weeks before I can leave.”

“I’m going to assume whatever has kept you from leaving is important, but I seriously don’t understand how anything could be so important that you won’t even skype me.”

Steve looks at Bucky, then Elie, then back to Bucky. “Well, I took the serum again, so I don’t look the same. My partner and I had a baby and we are getting married next week, so I’d say that’s pretty important.”

There’s silence on the other end of the phone. “I’d say repeat that, but I feel like I heard you just fine.” There’s more silence. “Steve, are you Captain America again?”

“Hell no. That part of my life is over. Painting is what I want to do, but when Bucky came back into my life, things just had to be sidelined for a little while.”

A week later, Steve is standing in the yard of his ranch. It still makes him pause when he thinks about it. He owns a ranch with the love of his life, he has a daughter with the love of his life, and today he’s marrying the love of his life. Laura, Pepper, Nat and Wanda are all in the yard, giving directions to the crew that’s been hired. He knows that he doesn’t have to worry about anything being ready. The ladies have been planning for weeks and the set up started three days ago. An SUV comes up the drive and Steve heads around the house to greet whoever it is. He doesn’t even know who all was invited, but Laura told him not to worry about it. So, he didn’t.

The car stops and Sebastian gets out, coming around to hug Steve. He stops, looking Steve up and down. “Wow, you’re huge.”

Steve laughs, hugging his friend. “Yeah, that’s what happens with the serum.” He pulls back. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Laura insisted that if I came, I’d understand why you’ve been avoid galleries.” They walk to the back and Sebastian takes in everything. “This place is incredible. It rivals my view.”

Steve is laughing when Sam comes out of the house with the phone. “Your boy wants to talk to you.”

Steve takes the phone. “Sam this is my agent Sebastian. Sebastian, this is Sam.”

They walk away talking while Steve takes the call. “Morning beautiful. Everything okay over there?”

“Steve, I don’t like this.” He sounds frustrated and unhappy.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“I didn’t sleep.”

“Is Elie alright?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. Her feet haven’t touch the floor because Loki won’t put her down.”

Then Steve hears a voice in the background. “Have you seen how cute she is? How could I let something this precious out of my arms?”

Steve laughs and so does Bucky. “Then why didn’t you sleep?” Steve knows because it’s the same reason he didn’t sleep.

“Because you weren’t here or I wasn’t there. I’m being whiny, I know, but I don’t like being away from you.” There’s a pause. “Wow, when did I get so bitchy?”

Steve barks a laugh. “You’re not bitchy, you just miss me. About as much as I miss you. Can we not do anything that forces us to sleep apart again?”

“I’m with you on that, punk.”

“Jerk.” They stay silent for a few minutes. “I love you.”

“I Love you too.”

Bucky stands in front of the mirror looking at himself. Even the knock off serum he has healed his body almost immediately after the birth. He’s in just as good of shape as he was before the pregnancy, so the suit that he’s wearing fits him like a glove. Nat had called Pepper and a tailor had been sent to the ranch. Bucky wasn’t expecting it to look this good. They’d gone with a casual linen suit, it was light and airy, not constricting like a tux would have. Laura came in, carrying a very dressed up Eleanor. Laura wore a flowered dress that made her look like a million dollars and Lila peeked around her mom looking at Bucky.

“How do I look kiddo?” Lila grinned at Bucky.

“You look like you should be on the cover of a men’s fashion magazine.”

Bucky scoops her up, hugging her close. “That’s the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.” Lila giggles and when Bucky puts her down, she runs off.

“You look amazing.” Laura tears up, Bucky takes Elie from her and hugs her.

“Have you looked in a mirror this morning? Clint’s going to drool all over himself when he sees you.” Laura giggles just like her daughter.

“You’re going to be happy, right?”

“I promise.” He kisses his daughter’s cheek and she grins at him.

“We better get going.”

Steve looks at his reflection. “God I hope he likes how I look.”

Sam snorts behind him. “Look man, he’s been in love with you his whole life. He’s seen you at your worst, he’s seen you at your best, you two have a beautiful daughter together and you’re worried that he won’t like what you’re wearing?”

“I know, I know, but this is different.” Sam nods, he gets the insecurity, but still thinks that Steve is whipped.

“Let’s get you out there.”

The choice of who would stand with them was easy. Clint stands with Steve and Laura stands with Bucky, while holding Elie. Pepper had offer to hold the baby, but Steve and Bucky wanted her up there with them. The judge that is officiating the ceremony was thrilled at the opportunity. There were people in attendance that Steve and Bucky didn’t know, but Laura had assured them were important for the day. The ceremony was short and sweet, with Steve and Bucky writing their own vows. Tony had created a ring that would fit on Bucky’s left hand and Steve had designed it. Steve’s ring was platinum with an engraving inside. Steve had expected ‘til the end of the line,’ but was surprised to find that it wasn’t what Bucky had chosen. Instead ‘all my tomorrows are yours’ in neat script lined the inside of the band.

When they turn to the crowd after their kiss, the judge looks at Bucky, who nods. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my honor to present for the first time, Mr. Steven Grant and Mr. James Buchannan Rogers.” Steve nearly chokes on air.

Bucky squeezes his hand. “James Buchannan Rogers. It sounds good.” He looks at Steve. “It sounds right.”

There’s food, drink, and dancing until well into the night. Around 8, Bucky takes Elie in to get her ready for bed. He’s in her nursery changing her diaper and putting on her onesie when a voice from the door makes him freeze. “I’m trying to figure out how it is that she looks so much like both of you.”

Sebastian has been watching all day and can’t deny the way Steve and Bucky are with each other. The looks alone are enough to tell anyone looking on that these two are made for each other, but Elie is an anomaly. “She’s our daughter. She should look like us.”

Sebastian looks at him quizzically. “When Steve told me that you and he had a child, I thought he meant adoption or surrogate.”

Bucky snaps the last button on the onesie and picks up a grinning baby. “Nope, biologically ours.”

“I don’t….but…how?”

Bucky snorts, making his daughter laugh at him. “I’m intersexed and got pregnant.” He sweeps past Sebastian and into the kitchen where Nat is waiting with a bottle.

She smirks. “I’ll do bedtime duties, you go dance with your husband.” Bucky hands her over, kissing her little cheek. Sebastian just stands there looking lost. “Listen Mr. Tyler, don’t try to understand those two, none of us really understand the depth of what they have. Just accept it and move on.”

Bucky exits the house, joining his husband on the dance floor. “You get her down already?”

“Naw, Auntie Nat wants to put her down.” Steve laughs, leaning in to kiss Bucky.

The party winds down and Steve takes Bucky’s hand, leading him to the house. They check in on Elie, who is sleeping like an angel, then he pulls his husband towards their room. Pushing Bucky’s jacket off his shoulders and to the floor, Steve smirks. “Hello husband.”

Bucky blushes. “You like saying that.”

“I do.”


End file.
